Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you love nature. You love the “idea” of camping, if not particularly everything that comes with it. I am sort of an outdoors person. I like hiking, rafting, kayaking, wildlife … many outdoors adventures. But I also like to have a hot shower at the end of it. A comfy bed […]
I recently returned from a trip to North and South Carolina (and Georgia as well) — the first trip of my “50 by 50” initiative to complete seeing all of the 50 US states by the time I turn 50 in 2016. It was a fun journey steeped in history, which we were lucky to […]
There are places in India well-known for their beaches—Kerala and Goa spring to mind. But far off the coast, in the Andaman Sea much nearer to Thailand than mainland India, lies one of the country’s best-kept secrets: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Far removed from the rest of India, while still retaining the feel and […]
Panama has long been on my list of places to visit. While I have traveled to most other Central American countries, I finally made it to Panama this month, and experienced two of the most pristine, lush hideaways that make traveling here so rewarding. First, there was the Garden of Eden in Bocas del Toro […]
When I travel, I prefer to live like a local as much as possible. That’s why I enjoy staying in small family-owned guest houses, home stays or doing home exchanges. Swapping places when I travel is not only one of my favorite ways of staying local—in a house or apartment instead of a hotel room, […]
I love San Antonio. It’s a great city to visit, and since it’s just over an hour’s drive from my home I visit somewhat frequently. It holds some of my earliest travel memories, of road trips taken there from the Dallas area during my childhood. It’s also one of the most popular destination towns in […]
When people arrive in Laos, the land-locked, slow-moving, peaceful country in Southeast Asia, they generally gravitate toward Luang Prabang as far as cities. But while a different vibe, the capital city of Vientiane has a lot to offer. It’s much larger, and more crowded and busy, than Luang Prabang to be sure. But it is […]
Just where is La Isla Ometepe, you might ask? I myself had never heard of it until I began planning a trip to Nicaragua in mid 2011, with my boyfriend Keith. After setting up a home exchange in Granada, our exchange host there, Peta, strongly suggested we consider a visit to Ometepe. La Isla Ometepe […]
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I'm Shelley, a journeyer and learner of the world, freelance journalist and author, yoga chick and dog lover. I pound the keyboard from home barefoot every day, and while my boss is demanding she also occasionally lets me have the early afternoon cocktail. I think not going into an office or collecting corporate paychecks are very good ideas, though not always profitable. I have written for National Geographic, USA Today, The Guardian, Texas Monthly and CNN, among others. Neither the New York Times nor Johnny Depp have answered my letters yet.
I love animals, yoga, indie movies, cooking, wine, books and chocolate, though not necessarily in that order. I believe in karma. Mean people suck. If I could have any dream job I would like to be a superhero. I have performed a catch on the flying trapeze, boarded down a live volcano, snorkeled with seals and was once robbed by a monkey in Nepal. But, I don't know how to whistle.
My mantra is "travel with a purpose."
See the world like a local!
A book I wrote with my partner Keith, that lays out how we travel as much as we do, for damn near free.
Trading Places 